Real Risk Or Another Scare?

[EDDIE51]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-10/britain-s-retired-sun-seekers-risk-losing-pensions-after-brexit?utm_source=quora&utm_medium=referral

[naomi24]

Yet another scare.

[ToraToraTora]

load of old pony, money has been transferred all over the world long before the EUSSR. I can't see brexit effecting that.

[ludwig]

I can't see the Spanish (for example) wanting to make it difficult for British pensioners to spend their pension money in Spain.
That would be a strange thing to do.

[youngmafbog]

Project Fear phase 9999

[Jackdaw33]

I don't see the problem anyway. If the worst came to the worst all someone has to do is open a UK bank account and have the pension paid into it. The money can then be withdrawn all over the world.

[bednobs]

u need a uk address 4 a uk account

[ToraToraTora]

Just the SGB desperately thrashing about JD.

[Jackdaw33]

I am not well up on these matters but I would have thought that the vast majority of ex-pats had a UK account anyway.

[ludwig]

Think about it. Is it really likely that the EU will want to punish us
for Brexit by stopping us transferring our money to the EU and spending it there?

There will no doubt be many punishments, but I guarantee that won't be one of them.

[naomi24]

All these 'negative' thoughts will come as a big disappointment to Eddie.

[jno]

depends whether a deal is struck, as the story says. We don't seem to be any nearer to getting one, though, and as expats weren't even allowed to vote in the referendum, you can't guarantee they'll be high on the government's list of priorities.

[New Judge]

I might be wrong but I imagine there are quite a few people living in EU countries who are not citizens of an EU nation. I would also imagine that at least a few of them receive the sort of payments being mentioned here. I wonder how on Earth they must manage?

[dannyk13]

UK pensions were paid to expats long before the advent of the EU and there is no reason why they won't continue to be paid after we leave.

[jno]

dannyk, my recollection is that they may be paid but they won't necessarily rise with inflation as those of people who stay home do. I could be wrong about this.

[dannyk13]

jno, that really has nothing to do with Brexit.If their pensions rise with inflation at present then there is no reason why they shouldn't continue to do so.

[jno]

just found this, which differs from the story linked to (but is several months old and refers only to "indications")

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pensions-retirement/news/britain-eu-reach-agreement-expats-state-pension-brexit/

It does confirm my point that many pensions paid to expats are frozen.

[jno]

sorry, dannyk, your answer wasn't there. My point was that Spain will be on a par with Australia after Brexit: just another foreign country, and not even in the Commonwealth.

[dannyk13]

Here is the confirmation;-
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pensions-retirement/news/britain-eu-reach-agreement-expats-state-pension-brexit/

[Jackdaw33]

Why are we getting so worked up about this? Ex-pats form a very tiny minority of UK citizens. If things are no longer to their advantage then they can move back to the UK. Concern about ex-pats is at the bottom of my list of priorities.

[dannyk13]

That sounds like a case of 'I'm all right Jack, pull up the ladder'.